Entering the 2020 NFL Draft, it wasn’t known if Georgia tight end Charlie Woerner would be selected, but his dreams came true Saturday evening as he was taken off the board in the sixth round.
Woerner was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers as the 190th pick overall. He was a four year contributor in Athens and was known as a swiss army knife on the team. Now, he plans on taking those talents and that ‘whatever it takes to win’ attitude to the Bay Area.
“I kind of see myself as a do-it-all guy, a guy who can do anything and really just going to do what the team asks me to do,” Woerner said during his introductory press conference. “That’s what I did at Georgia and just want to do whatever it takes to win a ball game. I’m excited to go to the 49ers and win some ball games.”
Woerner started two games his freshman season, but it wasn’t until his sophomore year where he began to play a bigger role. In 2017, he worked his way into the rotation with former Bulldogs Jeb Blazevich and Isaac Nauta. Nauta held the starting job in 2018 before heading to the NFL, and Woerner took over in 2019.
Woerner was a four-star prospect out of high school, but wasn’t really known for his pass catching ability in Athens. He only caught 34 passes for 376 yards and one touchdown in four years at UGA. Woerner was more known for his blocking skills, and he did plenty of it throughout his college career.
“You’ve meant so much to this program and you are the heart and soul,” Smart said of Woerner in a congratulation video after he was selected. “I can still remember that first recruiting class, first meetings, having you walk in and you weren’t a man of many words, but you’re a man of hard work. I know the stock you come from. I know how yard you trained. You’ve waited for this moment. You’re the ultimate team player.”
Woerner’s receiving production in Georgia’s passing game may have been somewhat nonexistent, but he joins a San Francisco team that only averaged 237.0 passing yards per game (13th in the NFL). But he does get to learn from George Kittle, who’s regarded as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. During his four year career at Iowa, Kittle only had 48 catches while piling up 737 yards and 10 scores. Similar to Woerner, he was taken late in the draft as the 146th overall in the fifth round.
Despite being a late round pick, Kittle has completed two consecutive seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving the past two years. He also helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl in 2019, and led the team in receiving by hauling in 85 receptions for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns. Don’t expect Woerner to make to make that much of an impact, but know that his skills should develop under one of the best in the game at the tight end position.
“I’m super pumped to be in the tight end room with him,” Woerner said. “As a guy who blocks a lot at Georgia, I loved watching him play. Just the way he played for the 49ers this year and how aggressive he is in the blocking game, I love to emulate him and try to be like him in the run game.”